Staff Product Certification Manager

💼 About the Role

PQShield is seeking a Staff Certification Manager to lead and define our global certification strategy across hardware IP, software cryptographic libraries, and platform security products. This is a highly visible technical leadership role that combines deep expertise in security certifications, product security, industry standards, and regulatory frameworks.

As the company-wide authority on certification, product assurance, and security compliance, you will influence product roadmaps, security architectures, customer engagements, industry standards, and regulatory strategy. You will work closely with product security architects, engineering teams, executive leadership, certification laboratories, standards bodies, regulators, and strategic customers to ensure PQShield products achieve world-class levels of assurance and compliance.

Founded in 2018, PQShield is a leader in Post-Quantum Cryptography and hardware security. This role provides a unique opportunity to shape how next-generation cryptographic technologies are evaluated, certified, and deployed across critical industries worldwide.

Our products span cryptographic IP, software libraries, Root of Trust technologies, and secure platforms designed for cloud, edge, automotive, industrial, and government applications.

⚒️ What You’ll Be Doing

Certification & Regulatory Strategy

• Own and evolve PQShield’s global certification and regulatory compliance strategy across hardware, software, and platform products.
• Define roadmaps that align certification achievements with business objectives and emerging global regulatory frameworks (e.g., CRA, NIS2, EO 14028).
• Identify opportunities to leverage certification and compliance as competitive differentiators and market access enablers.
• Partner with cross-functional leadership to translate strategy into actionable engineering requirements and strategic investment priorities.

Technical Leadership

• Serve as PQShield’s principal subject matter expert for security and safety certifications, including:
• FIPS 140-3
• SESIP
• PSA Certified
• Common Criteria
• ISO/SAE 21434
• ISO 26262
• IEC 62443
• Emerging post-quantum security assurance frameworks
• Advise architects and engineering teams on certification-driven design decisions.
• Establish reusable certification methodologies, evidence generation processes, and assurance frameworks across product lines.
• Identify opportunities to reduce certification effort through architectural reuse, automation, formal verification, and security-by-design practices.

Certification Execution & Governance

• Provide strategic oversight of certification programs from planning through successful certification and maintenance.
• Lead engagement with certification laboratories, accreditation bodies, evaluators, and external assessors.
• Manage certification risks, dependencies, schedules, and resource planning.
• Develop metrics, reporting, and governance processes to track certification readiness and progress.

Industry Engagement & Thought Leadership

• Represent PQShield in relevant standards organizations and industry alliances to influence the evolution of security assurance methodologies.
• Contribute technical expertise to industry task forces and committees focused on post-quantum cryptography and cybersecurity regulations.
• Author white papers and technical guidance to position PQShield as a thought leader in certification and product assurance.

Customer & Business Support

• Act as a trusted advisor to customers on certification strategies and product assurance.
• Explain and demonstrate the certifiability and assurance characteristics of PQShield technologies.
• Support strategic customer engagements, audits, RFP responses, and technical due diligence activities.
• Collaborate with Product Management and Business Development to translate certification capabilities into customer value.

Organizational Development

• Mentor certification engineers and contribute to building PQShield’s certification capability.
• Establish best practices, processes, and tooling that scale across the organization.
• Foster a culture of security assurance excellence across engineering and product teams.

🎯 Required Skills and Qualifications

• 12+ years of experience in security certification and product assurance, with a proven track record of leading complex programs from inception to maintenance.
• Proven track record leading complex security certification programs from strategy through successful certification and maintenance.
• Deep expertise in multiple security certification frameworks and standards.
• Demonstrated experience influencing product architecture to meet certification objectives.
• Strong understanding of semiconductor security, cryptography, Root of Trust technologies, embedded systems, and hardware security architectures.
• Experience working directly with certification laboratories, accreditation bodies, and standards organizations.
• Strong stakeholder management and executive communication skills.
• Ability to operate effectively across technical, commercial, and regulatory domains.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Cyber Security, or a related discipline.
• Strong understanding of cybersecurity regulations and compliance frameworks affecting semiconductor, software, cloud, automotive, government, and critical infrastructure markets.
• Experience interpreting and operationalizing regulatory requirements within product development organizations.
• Demonstrated ability to influence technical and business strategy through certification, assurance, and compliance initiatives.

🖥️ Technologies and Tools

• Atlassian JIRA
• Confluence
• Requirements and compliance management tools
• Certification and assurance documentation workflows

👍 Preferred Skills and Qualifications

• Experience certifying cryptographic modules under FIPS 140-3.
• Experience with Common Criteria evaluations and protection profiles.
• Knowledge of post-quantum cryptography and emerging certification challenges.
• Experience with secure elements, smart cards, Root of Trust technologies, or hardware security modules.
• Knowledge of side-channel analysis, fault injection, tamper resistance, and hardware security evaluation methodologies.
• Familiarity with formal verification and security assurance techniques.
• Experience contributing to industry standards or certification scheme development.
• Existing network within certification laboratories, standards bodies, or industry associations.

🏆 Some of the Perks of Working with Us

• Opportunity to shape the future of post-quantum security assurance and certification.
• Direct influence on products deployed in critical infrastructure, cloud, automotive, and government sectors.
• Unparalleled opportunities to learn and accelerate your career in one of the fastest-growing areas of cybersecurity.
• A collaborative environment with world-leading experts in cryptography and hardware security.
• Competitive salary and share option scheme.
• Flexible and hybrid working, with a working from home budget.
• Private health insurance for yourself and your family.
• 25 days annual leave (plus bank holidays and two wellness weeks).
• 50% gym membership discount.
• The opportunity to work with a smart, ambitious, and friendly team